Chapter 88: Chapter 84: The Midnight Cat's Downfall

The campfire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the group. The night was calm, the stars twinkling above like scattered diamonds. Yet, amidst the peace, one figure seethed with irritation—Aether.

His golden eyes stayed locked onto Kuni, the smug midnight-blue cat curled up comfortably on Lumine's lap, purring like he owned the world. Lumine, oblivious to the brewing storm, continued scratching behind Kuni’s ears with a gentle smile.

“Unbelievable…” Aether muttered under his breath. “A literal cat, plotting and scheming right in front of me.”

Venti snorted into his hand, while Amber and Ayaka exchanged knowing glances. Kazuha simply sipped his tea, observing the chaos unfold with an amused expression.

Kuni, still in his cat form, stretched luxuriously on Lumine’s lap, his tail swishing lazily. His violet eyes flickered toward Aether, the tiniest smirk hidden in his feline expression.

That was the final straw.

Aether shot up from his seat. “Alright, that’s it! Get off my sister!”

Before anyone could react, Aether reached forward, gently—but decisively—scooping Kuni up by the scruff of his neck.

“Wait, Aether!” Lumine gasped, reaching out in alarm.

But it was too late. With a swift motion, Aether yeeted the midnight cat into the air.

Time seemed to slow down as Kuni soared through the night sky, his paws outstretched, his face frozen in shock. A horrified “MROW?!” escaped him as he landed a few feet away with a soft thud.

The group went silent.

Amber’s eyes were wide with disbelief, her hands over her mouth. Ayaka froze mid-sip of her tea. Venti, ever the dramatist, fell backward off his chair in uncontrollable laughter. Kazuha raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Albedo calculating the cat's landing

But the silence was broken by a faint, glowing violet mist rising from where Kuni had landed.

“Oh no…” Amber whispered.

The mist swirled, crackling with faint electric sparks, before dispersing to reveal none other than Scaramouche—now back in his human form. His midnight-blue hair was ruffled, and his violet eyes burned with barely restrained fury. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his foot tapped against the ground as if he were holding himself back from committing a crime.

“You yeeted me,” Scaramouche said flatly, his voice low and menacing.

Aether crossed his arms, unfazed. “Yeah, and I’ll do it again if you keep pulling that cat nonsense with my sister.”

Lumine facepalmed, her voice strained. “You two are impossible.”

Venti was now wheezing on the ground, his face red from laughing too hard. “I—I can’t breathe! Aether just—just yeeted him! Oh, Archons, I’m going to die!”

Amber, trying to defuse the tension, stepped forward cautiously. “Okay, okay, let’s all calm down. Scaramouche, you… um… you’re fine, right? No broken bones?”

Scaramouche’s glare shifted to Amber. “I’m not fine. My pride is shattered.”

Ayaka cleared her throat softly. “Perhaps… transforming into a cat and curling up on Lumine’s lap wasn’t the most tactful approach.”

Lumine sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. “Both of you need to stop. Scaramouche, no more sneaky cat transformations just to sit on me. And Aether… please stop throwing people—or cats—across campsites.”

Aether huffed, pointing accusingly at Scaramouche. “As long as he stops being a manipulative feline menace, we won’t have any problems.”

Scaramouche rolled his eyes, crossing his arms tightly. “Tch. It’s not my fault she likes me better.”

Aether stepped forward. “What did you just say?!”

The two boys were suddenly nose-to-nose, glaring daggers at each other, sparks practically flying between them.

“Okay, enough!” Lumine snapped, stepping between them and pushing them apart with both hands. “You’re both acting like children.”

The group slowly relaxed as Lumine managed to pull the two apart. Venti, still on the ground, managed to sit up, wiping tears from his eyes. “Oh man… This trip is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Kazuha chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Well, at least the night isn’t dull.”

Amber sighed in relief. “Alright, let’s just sit down and get back to enjoying the campfire, yeah? No more cat-fights.”

Scaramouche and Aether both glared at Amber simultaneously, but she just shrugged with a cheeky grin.

With some grumbling, everyone settled back into their spots around the fire. Scaramouche sat as far from Aether as possible, his arms crossed tightly and his face still slightly pink from embarrassment. Aether kept his eyes locked on him like a hawk, refusing to let his guard down.

Lumine let out another tired sigh, sinking back into her chair.

The campfire crackled on, and while the night resumed its peaceful rhythm, one thing was clear: the chaos was far from over.